Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Sports
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Motorsports
  • Tennis

Belarusian football wins fans abroad as locals boycott matches

by French Press Agency - AFP

MINSK Apr 26, 2020 - 10:04 am GMT+3
FC Dinamo Minsk's Ivan Bakhar in action with FC Smolevichi's Alex Butarevich, in Borisov, Belarus, Friday, April 24, 2020. (Reuters Photo)
FC Dinamo Minsk's Ivan Bakhar in action with FC Smolevichi's Alex Butarevich, in Borisov, Belarus, Friday, April 24, 2020. (Reuters Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP Apr 26, 2020 10:04 am

Belarus’ football league is among the few open amid the coronavirus pandemic. Though local fans increasingly stay away from matches, it has newfound fans abroad hungry for even a small dose of football action while in lockdown

RECOMMENDED
Lionel Messi of Argentina touches the World Cup trophy as he passes it after winning the golden ball award during the awards ceremony after the FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Argentina and France at Lusail stadium, Lusail, Qatar, Dec. 18 2022. (EPA Photo)

Is Lionel Messi's G.O.A.T status officially sealed?

QATAR-WORLD-CUP-2022

As Belarus resists imposing a lockdown to combat the coronavirus, its football league has stumbled into the international limelight as Europe's only remaining top-flight competition. But players are worried about the health risks and only diehard fans are braving matches.

FC Slutsk fan Yahor Khavanski, 26, is "a bit afraid" but could not imagine quitting his weekend football fix. He was about to put on a surgical mask and a FC Slutsk scarf and "try not to touch anything" at a clash against rivals Belshina Bobruisk on Sunday. "The stadium holds 2,000 people, but only 300 came to the last match. You can sit anywhere you want and keep your distance," he told Agence France-Presse (AFP) by phone. Khavanski says he will keep attending matches, regardless of the risk. In his view, he faces "the same odds of being infected on public transport or in shops."

Life has continued as normal in Belarus, whose authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to impose a virus lockdown. With a population of nearly 10 million, Belarus has registered 9,590 coronavirus cases. Neighboring Ukraine, with four times the population, has registered fewer cases. The Belarusian Football Federation (BFF) has followed the government's lead, saying it will not stop matches under the current guidelines. The BFF even announced this week its women's league will kick off on April 30 following a two-week delay over fears players had come into contact with people infected with the virus.

On paper, the decision to allow matches is a huge boon to a struggling league. Russia's largest sports network bought the rights to air matches in March, a move followed by 11 other countries including India and Israel. Clubs have started Twitter accounts in English to cater to the new influx of international spectators. Fans and management at FC Slutsk wonder whether the new interest could save the club. FC Slutsk's main sponsor is a local, state-run sugar company. "But the sugar industry is in decline," club president Vitaly Bunas told AFP. With the factory director in prison over a corruption conviction, Bunas says "the club's finances are catastrophic." Yet fans in Australia have crowd-funded nearly $4,000 and launched a Facebook group for FC Slutsk's new followers abroad, an initiative Bunas said was "surprising but welcome."

The boost of attracting new fans abroad has come against the backdrop of dwindling spectators, with a total of just 2,383 fans in attendance across the eight league matches last weekend. Dinamo Minsk's match against Neman Grodno, held in the country's largest stadium last weekend, was played in front of only 317 people. At the end of March, fans in Grodno criticized the official response to the pandemic and virus "lies," calling on the BFF to "finally have the courage to stop the championship." Fan groups at all of the league's top clubs have announced they will not attend matches.

Several players, mainly foreign based, have weighed in, saying the league should be suspended. "It's a little scary," said Dinamo Brest striker Artem Milevsky on Instagram last week after a match in Vitebsk, the town which has the second highest number of infections in Belarus. Dinamo Minsk midfielder, Danilo, told Brazilian media: "If the major championships have stopped, why haven't we? We should do the same." But with the league gaining more attention than ever, other players see this as their moment. French-Armenian footballer Hayk Mosakhanian said it was a "plus" the league was continuing, welcoming publicity "if we play well." The Energetik-BGU midfielder added that young players "want to show off." For up and coming stars, he said, the pandemic has offered a chance to stand out. "It's an opportunity," he told AFP.

RECOMMENDED
Lionel Messi of Argentina touches the World Cup trophy as he passes it after winning the golden ball award during the awards ceremony after the FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Argentina and France at Lusail stadium, Lusail, Qatar, Dec. 18 2022. (EPA Photo)

Is Lionel Messi's G.O.A.T status officially sealed?

QATAR-WORLD-CUP-2022
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    belarus covid-19 dinamo minsk alexander lukashenko fc slutsk
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    An amateur photographer Vincent Cornelissen captures a bean goose flying upside down. (Photo from Instagram @b0unce1971)

    It is showing off: Photographer captures goose flying upside down

    ANIMALS-ARCHIVES
    A crude oil tanker sails in the Bosporus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 11, 2022. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye registers better-than-expected current account gap

    current-account-balance

    Accumulated tension of hundreds of years moved Anatolia by 3m

    Harold-Tobin

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    First lady Emine Erdoğan opens Türkiye's 1st public adult disability education center
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021